Gallery
What’s Left of Waterford, Mississippi
Duwayne Burnside Et Al Closes Out Friday Night On A High Note #HillCountryPicnic2013
Otis Logan’s Event at the Ice Bar II
Ava Monroe and Jerome Chisum performing at the Ice Bar at Otis Logan’s event on Monday, 12/03/12 in Memphis
Otis Logan’s Event at the Ice Bar
After driving back to Memphis on Monday December 3, I headed straight to the Ice Bar in Southwind to support my homeboy Otis Logan the drummer, whose band was sponsoring a Monday night concert featuring performances from Cameron Bethany, the rapper Snipes, Ava Monroe and Jerome Chism. Live music is unusual on a Monday night in Memphis, but the place was packed.
Nuthin But Fire Records-New Orleans LA
New Orleans rapper-activist @SESS45 opened Nuthin But Fire Records prior to Katrina, and probably had no idea it would become the city’s last hip-hop record store. The message on the building’s wall addresses one of the city’s continuing problems, the high rate of violence and killing among young African-American men in New Orleans. Sess has continued to represent those whose houses were destroyed in New Orleans and those who are struggling to return or remain. Each year, he organizes a second-line on or near the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina to commemorate its victims. Like him on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/SESS-4-5/235515353129793Â or follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/SESS45. You can visit the store and label at http://nuthinbutfirerecords.com/Â or at 1840 N Claiborne Ave when you’re in New Orleans.
Breakfast at the Ruby Slipper
The Ruby Slipper is a great place for breakfast in New Orleans. Originally starting from a location on Cortez Street in Mid-City, the restaurant has now expanded to include locations in the Central Business District and in the Bywater neighborhood. Visit them when in New Orleans for great breakfasts and lunches. Menu, addresses and hours can be found at http://www.therubyslippercafe.net/.
Checking Out the Hot 8 Brass Band at the Howlin’ Wolf
After a steak dinner at Crescent Steak House and a dessert at Angelo Brocato’s, I drove back to my hotel and tried to decide whether to go to a gig my homeboy Edward Jackson was on at the Blue Nile, or to hear Wessell “Warmdaddy” Anderson at Snug Harbor, or to check out the @Hot8BrassBand at the Howlin Wolf on South Peters. I soon realized that the Howlin Wolf was a block from the Courtyard by Marriott where I was staying, so I walked down there and checked out the Hot 8 Brass Band’s weekly Sunday night set. Even though I was exhausted from four hours of second-lining, I had a ball. The Hot 8 Brass Band have recently released a new album entitled The Life and Times of the Hot 8 Brass Band, and I bought a copy at the gig. You can keep up with new releases and scheduled appearances of the band by visiting http://www.hot8brassband.com/#12c/custom_plain or liking them on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Hot-8-Brass-Band/7758779639.
The End Is Where We Begin
The Dumaine Street Gang second-line ended where it began in the Treme neighborhood, but the crowds seemed reluctant to disperse. One crowd hung around the corner outside the Café Treme where the parade had ended, while a much larger crowd remained under the bridge on Claiborne, which turned into a car and bike show until the police came and dispersed the crowd on horseback, New Orleans, 12/02/12